THE SEAMEN AND THE ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18295, 11 January 1923, Page 6

THE SEAMEN AND THE ACT.

. * ... -o. — ■ .. ' The request to the Government by i the Seamen's Union, supported by the political and industrial organisations, of Labour, that the manning . clauses of the Shipping Act should • be restored is either premature or - superfluous. The proposal is pre- ' mature since the reasons for the sus- ' pension still exist; it would be superfluous if the emergency had 1 passed. The interview with the 1 Prime Minister and the Minister for Labour was held in private, and no t statement of the proceedings has been issued. There can be no doubt . as to the conclusion of the confer- . ence, since it is manifestly impos- . sible for the Government to termii nate the suspension order in the > existing circumstances. By the , action of the seamen, the shipping i j services were deprived of crews, and ; the strike—even the union executive .» would not have the effrontery now i- to dispute the use of the. term — ; created a crisis, in which the b Government was bound in the public > interest to permit the shipowners to » maintain the services by the employi ment of the most competent labour i available. There has not been the slightest abuse of this emergency - measure. From the outset, an in- , vitation has been open to the striki ing seamen to return to work upon - conditions that are sanctioned by f common sense and by the law. J They were offered the terms of the i Arbitration Court's award, with a 7 specific undertaking against further - interruption of work. So long its J they maintain their refusal to com- , ply with these conditions, the Seat men's Union and its members have * no right to ask for the restoration t of the manning clauses of the Act — f which, incidentally, do not require t that • ships shall- be manned by unionists, but by men of experience - and competency prescribed by the * Act. Thus until the union demon- - striates the readiness of its members ? to return to work, and to remain at 3 work, under the award, it is premature for Labour deputations to api proach the Government, and whenever the Government is satisfied , | that the emergency no longer exists, s the Act will doubtless be immediately restored to full operation. j '-.■-'.■